Bread rack



C. T. HATCH BREAD RACK Filed Nov. 14, 1935 Jan. 5, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. T. Hatch Chorlej ATTORNEY.

4 aq w Jan. 5, 1937.

c. T. HATCH 2,066,623

BREAD RACK Filed NOV. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k w b 3 l 1 I l 10 1 l 7 1 11 6 I I T INVENTOR. g Charles T. Harch 6% EM/WZ ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 5, 1937,

UNITED STES PATENT QFFICE BREAD RACK Charles T. Hatch, Albion, Mich., assignor to Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich.

Application November 14, 1935, Serial No. 49,749

8 Claims. (Cl. 211-150) The main objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a bread rack suitable to hold loaves of bread during cooling thereof, characterized by a plurality of shelves readily swingable may readily be displaced from such locked position by a slight lifting force applied at their free ends. The locking action is a positive one and is not merely dependent upon the relative dimensions or weights of parts, yet as aforesaid may be readily overcome. V

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary end elevational View of my device illustrating various positions of shelves therein.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

extending through holes l2 drilled in the end 'members of the shelf and holes l3 drilled in the rear uprights l to provide bearings for the pivots.

I suitably attach angled lugs I 4 to front uprights I for the purpose of supporting the free front ends of the shelves when they are in horizontal erected position.

At suitably spaced locations vertically of the rear uprights, I pivotally mount arms i5 at one end to the uprights. At the opposite free 5 aboutthe rear edges thereof from a horizontal Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional 5 article receiving position into inoperative posiview taken along a line corresponding to line tion. 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Second, to provide a rack having spring urged Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken pivoted shelves which in horizontal erected posialong the line 44 of Figs. 1 and 3.

tion are locked against inadvertent jarring from Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view illustrating a 10 said position. single shelf and structure associated therewith,

Third, to provide a device characterized by the taken along the line 55 of Fig. 1.

simplicity and cheapness of its construction, yet Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view parbeing efficient and easily operated. tially in section, illustrating the manner of piv Objects relating to details and economies of oting the shelves to the framework of my rack. 15 my invention will definitely appear from the de- Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken along the line scription to follow. The invention is defined in 1-1 of Fig. 6. the claims. Referring to the drawings, the rack of the em- I have produced a rack which is suitable for bodiment of my invention illustrated comprises use by baking companies or bakers primarily, ala frame made up of four vertical uprights l suit- 20 though it will be obvious that it is not restricted ably connected at front, rear and sides at the to that field of employment, finding ready applitop and bottom thereof by cross bars 2. It will cation wherever it is desired to have considerable be understood that the rack if designed to be space available for the shelving of articles. portable is provided with rollers at the bottom Bread racks of the type of my invention are custhereof, which are not shown, whereby the rack 25 tomarily provided with rollers by means of which may be rolled into whatever position may be dethey may be shifted at will from one position to sired. another. It is well known in racks of the type Mounted for pivotal movement in the frame, described to provide a plurality of pivoted shelves I dispose a plurality of shelves 3 which are which are capable of being raised when not in formed of end members 4, 5 joined by front and 30 use, or lowered into an erected or operative posirear longitudinal members 6, the shelves being tion so that access may be had successively therereinforced by intermediate longitudinal bars I. to for placing or removing articles such as loaves Transversely of the shelf 3, I space grid wires or of bread for temporary storage thereon. Diifirods 8 which, in the embodiment shown are of 5 culties of such known racks have existed in the U shape, the bights thereof being disposed at the fact that the shelves were not readily liftable front of the shelf to provide a receiving end intoinoperative position or if so lifted would not whereby articles presented to the shelf are not remain inthat position or were too readily dislikely to become caught or snagged. The rods 8 placed fromtheir erectedhorizontal position by are attached to the front and rear members ii jars or jolts incurred during the moving of the in any suitable manner, preferably by a spot 43 rack from one place to another. weld indicated at 9 in Fig. '7.

By the device of my invention, I have produced The shelves 3 are pivotally mounted to the rear a rack embodying shelves which are locked in uprights l by means of pintles or pivots H] which erected position against accidental upward disare provided with flattened offset portions H (5 placement about their pivotal point, yet which riveted to rear frame member 6 of the shelf and end, each of the arms I5 is provided with an offset extension or portion [6 having a hole I! in which is engaged one end of a spring l8. The opposite end of the spring is hooked about the end of pivot ID of the shelf with which the spring is associated. Adjacent the offset extension [6, arm I5 is provided with a hole I9 to receive a pivot 20 which pivotally joins the arm to a link 2|, the link having a countersunk hole 22 therein to likewise receive the pivot. A suitable spacing washer 23 is interposed on pivot 20 between the arm and link and another spacing washer 24 is interposed on the pivot between the arm and a cotter pin 25 which secures the link and arm on pivot 20 for free pivotal movement thereon with respect to one another.

At its opposite end, link 2| is pivotally connected to side member 4 of shelf 3 by means of a fiat-headed bolt 26 and a nut 21 and washer thereon. Link 2| is countersunk to receive the bolt head and a suitable spacing washer 28 is interposed between shelf end member 4 and link 2|. At the bottom thereof, link 21 has welded thereto a stop plate 29 which engages the under side of the shelf end member 4 when the parts are in erected position. Link 2| is freely swingable at both its pivotal points with respect to arm l5 and end member 4 of shelf 3, except as limited by the stop. The structure just described is duplicated at opposite ends of the rack.

In the above arrangement of parts, let it be assumed that a shelf 3 is in horizontal erected position. Referring to Fig. 1, this position is shown by a shelf supporting three rows of loaves of bread 30. In this position of parts, arm I5 is urged for rotative movement about its pivotal point 3| on upright I by spring l8. However, in view of the fact that the pivot 20 lies in or slightly above the plane of the pivot Ill and bolt 26, a locking toggle is provided, locking the shelf in horizontal position. If it is desired to raise one of the shelves into the inoperative position in which the upper shelf illustrated in Fig. 1 is placed, the shelf is manually lifted a slight extent, whereupon pivotal point 26 is raised, thus breaking the toggle existing between shelf 3, link 2|, and arm I5, whereupon the rotative motion imparted to arm I5 by spring I8 is made effective to exert a pull on link 2| in a direction toward pivot point 26 and this pull swings the link upwardly, straightens the toggle link 2| and. elevates the shelf.

It will be understood that springs l8 are selected with reference to the weight of the shelves 3 so that the raising and lowering of the same will be accomplished without objectionable impacts either in upper inoperative or lower erected horizontal position. The proper size of spring having been selected with these requirements in mind, it will be found that shelves 3 may be lowered to horizontal position against stops l4 and that in such position the shelves will be positively locked by the toggle formed by th operating parts. The extent of such locking action may be readily controlled by proportioning the dimension and pivotal relation of the parts in a manner which will be obvious, so that any degree of resistance to accidental upward displacement of the empty shelves may be achieved; however, in any event, the locking action is a positive one.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in an embodiment which I have found very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or discribe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rack, a frame, shelves pivoted to said frame, arms pivotally mounted on said frame, springs connecting said arms and said frame, and links connecting said shelves and said arms, stops carried by said links, said stops being engaged with said shelves in horizontal erected position thereof to limit downward movement of the shelves, the arms and links constituting a toggle whereby said shelves are locked against movement by said springs, said springs, upon upward initial pivotal movement of said shelves, exerting force transmitted through said linksto further elevate the shelves.

2. In a rack, a frame comprising front and rear pairs of uprights, shelves pivoted to said rear uprights, arms pivotally mounted on said rear uprights and having offset portionsat the free ends thereof, springs connecting said offset portions and said rear uprights, and links connecting said shelves and said arms adjacent the free ends thereof, said springs exerting force transmitted through said links to elevate the shelves after the shelves have been initially unlocked from their erected position.

3. In a rack, a frame comprising a plurality of uprights, a plurality of shelves pivoted to said uprights, means to resiliently urge said shelves from horizontal operative or erected position into elevated inoperative position after the shelves have been initially unlocked from erected position, and means for maintaining said shelves in erected position in opposition to said urging means, comprising links operatively associated with said urging means and said shelves and constituting a toggle joint therebetween, said joint being adapted to be broken by slight elevation oi. said shelves, and means to limit downward movement of said shelves.

4. In a rack, a frame, a shelf pivoted to said frame, means to resiliently urge said shelf from operative or erected position into inoplink operatively associated with said urging means and said shelf and constituting a-toggle' joint therebetween, said joint being adapted to be broken by slight movement of said shelf.

5. In a rack, a frame, a shelf pivoted to said frame, means to resiliently urge said shelf from operative or erected position into inoperative position, and means for maintaining said shelf in erected position in opposition to said urging means, comprising a link operatively associated with said urging means and said shelf.

6. In a rack, a frame, a shelf pivoted to said frame, means to resiliently urge said shelf from operative or erected position into inoperative position, and means for maintaining said shelf in erected position in opposition to said urging means comprising a toggle joint adapted to be broken by slight movement of said shelf from its erected position.

7. In a rack, the combination Witha frame, of

a shelf pivoted to said frame adjacent. its rear edge, an arm pivoted at its rear end to said frame 75 below the axis of the shelf, said arm being upwardly offset at its front end, a link pivoted to said shelf and to the front end of said arm and provided with a shelf engaging stop limiting its upward swing when the shelf is in erected horizontal position, the pivot for the link to the shelf then being at the rear of the pivot for the link to the arm, and a spring mounted at its rear end in approximately the plane of the shelf axis and engaged at its front end with the upwardly offset end of said arm, the pivots of the parts being so arranged relative to the pull of the spring that the parts constitute a locking toggle when the shelf is in erected position.

8. In a rack, the combination with a frame, of a shelf pivoted to said frame adjacent its rear edge, an arm pivoted at its rear end to said frame below the axis of the shelf, a link pivoted to said shelf and to the front end of said arm and provided with a shelf engaging stop limiting its upward swing when the shelf is in erected horizontal position, the pivot for the link to the shelf then being at the rear of the pivot for the link to the arm, and a spring mounted at its rear end in approximately the plane of the shelf axis and engaged at its front end with the arm, the pivots of the parts being so arranged relative to the pull of the spring that the parts constitute a locking toggle when the shelf is in erected position.

CHARLES T. HATCH. 

